Maria Ala-Hannula born in Finland, started her piano studies with prof. Siiri Raik (Estonia). She graduated from the Pirkanmaa University of Applied Sciences in Tampere, Finland in 2006 (Bachelor of music) with professors Kristiina Kask-Valve (Finland) and prof. Lauri Väinmaa (Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre). In 2009 she finished the two-year master class at the Musical Academy of Florence (Accademia musicale di Firenze) with prof. Pier Narciso Masi after which she got her Master’s Degree in chamber music at the Verona Conservatoire “E. F. dall’Abaco”. At the moment she is studying rhythmic training in Sibelius-Academy.Maria Ala-Hannula has a deep interest for chamber music. She plays in piano duo with the Italian pianist Leonardo Zunica in Ebony piano duo. They have been invited to perform in music festivals and halls such as Sala Maffeiana (Verona), “Festival Mondi Sonori” (Trento), “Rassegna In Canto”(Bologna), “Festival internazionale” (Bellagio), “Ti porto via”(Porto Mantovano), Festival “Eterotopie altri luoghi” (Mantua) and Sibelius Museum of Turku (Finland). Maria has performed numerous premieres of contemporary music both as a soloist as in chamber music ensembles. Maria specializes also in vocal chamber music, which she has studied with professors Collin Hansen (Sibelius Academy) and Ilmo Ranta (Sibelius Academy). In 2008 she gained recognition with soprano Jenni Kuronen by winning the 2nd prize and a special mention reward at the Kangasniemi Lied-pianist Competition in 2008. The duo won also the 3rd prize at the Lied-competition “Riviera Etrusca” in Piombino, Italy in 2009.She has attended solistic master classes by professors such as Huy-Jing Liu-Tawaststjerna, German Danileiko, Balázs Szokolay, Franco Scala, Leonid Margarius, Anna Kravchenko, Boris Petrushansky and Grzegorz Kurzynski.Currently she teaches at Accademia del pianoforte in Mantua, Scuola Civica Musicale B. Maderna of Verona; at the “Musicale” Cultural Association in Castiglione delle Stiviere. She’s the artistic director of the festival Suomitaly -International Music Meeting in Finland.At the moment she is working in the Kankaanpää Music Institute as a piano and chamber music teacher and accompanist.

Valentina Fornari graduated in piano under the guidance of Professor Isabella Lo Porto at the Conservatory "F. Bonporti" of Trent and was awarded in 2008, always in the same location, the Postgraduate Diploma level address to solo-concerts of the highest grade. Degree in Psychiatric Rehabilitation at the University of Verona specializes in music therapy at the Department of Music, University of Bristol (UK) and in 2009 he graduated in music education at the Conservatory "FE Dall'Abaco in Verona. She has won over 60 awards in national and international competitions always ranked at the top as a soloist and in duet, four hands.She has attended master classes held by Maestro Nelson Delle Vigne, Maestro Peter Lang, Maestro Sergio Torri, Maestro Andrea Lucchesini, Maestro Massimiliano Damerini, with Riccardo Risaliti and for years she has been training at the Academy "A. Benvenuti" in Conegliano Veneto, conducted by Bruno Mezzena. Currently, in addition to playing concerts both as soloist and chamber musician, or being the pianist of the “Trio Euterpe” with Klaus Broz (cello) and Angela Barusolo (flute), or regularly collaborating with the Soprano Stefania Bonfadelli and many other well-known artists in the world - she devotes herself to teaching piano; from 2003 until today, her students have won over 100 awards in international competitions and international standards and are regularly called to appear for important Italian and foreign cultural associations. Her piano school has been chosen to represent Italy to the festival of Spanish diplomatic corps and performed at the "Stage Municipal de Madrid" in honor of Queen Sofia, also she has been selected by master Claudio Scimone to play alongside the "Soloists Veneti” in the Auditorium Pollini in Padova. In 2008 she won the award for teaching as a teacher with the highest number of students ranked first in national contest Riccione, the Contest of San Giovanni Teatino (Pescara) and in 2010 her piano school has distinguished itself with the largest number of students Top Ranked Piano Competition of Piove di Sacco (Padova). In addition to providing its expertise in the field of music - teaching at primary schools and secondary schools in the province of Verona, she is the coordinator and professor of piano lessons at the Academy “Jacopo Foroni” in Valeggio sul Mincio, and she is currently Adjunct Professor for the performing arts at the University of Verona.

elena monzaAccademia musicale "G.B.Sammartini"e "G. Puccini", milano

Elena Monza: started her studies in Milan, and graduated in 2001 at “G. Puccini” Conservatory in La Spezia (bachelor of music). She also attended the Masterclasses by A. Lucchesini, M. Damerini, F. Thiollier, E. Virsaladze, E. Pace. From 2002 until 2008 she studied with K. Bogino, S. Bogino and V. Ogarkov, and in 2006 she finished Postgraduate Diploma address to solo concerts with honors. She has been invited to perform as soloist in music festivals and halls such as Concert society of Milan, Auditorium G. Verdi Milan, Accademia musicale Valdarnese (Arezzo), Romatreorchestra ( Rome), Spazio musica (Orvieto), Musica in laguna (Venice), Diapason musical association (Bergamo), City of Lucca Festival. She also performes in chamber music group, with violin, cello, singer, flute. For five years she has been the artistic director of “Autunno classico”, a classical music season in Bergamo. She has been awarded in national and international competitions, and from 2003 she teaches piano in several Music Academies. In 2005 she also graduated in Philosophy, music aesthetics, at University of studies in Milan, and she published an article about musical space in V. Zuckerkandl. Currently she teaches in the Music school “G.B. Sammartini”, and “G. Puccini”, in Milan.

elina heinonen - vapaa improvisaatio, porvoon seudun musiikkiopisto

Finnish pianist and piano teacher Elina Heinonen finished her Master degree in Estonian Academy of Music and Theather in 2007. Her teachers in Tallinn were professor Ivari Ilja and Mati Mikalai. Before that Heinonen graduated as a piano teacher in JAMK University of Applied Sciences (Jyväskylä – Finland), and her teacher was Katariina Liimatainen. University of Applied SciencesElina Heinonen has been working as piano teacher or accompanist in a few music institutes like Central Ostrobothnia Concervatory in Kokkola, and Länsi-Uusimaa Music Institute. At the moment she works as pedagog and accompanist in Porvoo Music Institute and in different projects with chamber music, lied, theather and performances. During this year she plays concerts in Finland, Estonia and Sweden.Heinonen studied also free improvisation in Tallinn with professor Anto Pett from year 2004 to 2007 and on several courses in Estonia and Finland. She is a pianist of free improvisation trio Sointivärinää (Sirkka Kosonen, voice and Tapani Heikinheimo, cello) and on the past year Heinonen has taken part in projetc Liikutus of Art Academy making improvisation work shops with artists of music, painting, light and dance.

Eveliina Honkanen studied violin in the Music institute of Liminka and she gratuated (Bachelor) from the University of Pohjois-Karjala in 2007. She then specialized in Lahti Conservatoire 2009-2011. She has attented masterclasses in the Kuhmo Chamber Music festival. Her most important professors include Mervi Kyrki, Tapani Yrjölä and Juhani Palola. Eveliina Honkanen teaches violin and conducts the school orchestras in the Music Institute of Kankaanpää, Finland. She also studies the viola and performs regularly in chamber music ensembles.

Hanna Raiskio started playing the violin at the Music Institute of Kankaanpää, Natalia Vainonen as her teacher at first. Raiskiocontinued her studies at the Helsinki Polytechnic Stadia (current Metropolia) where her teachers were Janne Malmi vaara andKatinka Korkeala. She graduated in 2008 and became violin teacher. Currently, Hanna Raiskio works the third year as a lecturer of violin playing at Pori Palmgren Conservatory. She has played actively in various orchestras and chamber music ensembles, and performed several times, both in Finland and abroad. In particular, the chamber music is close to her heart, and she is among others the player of the ensemle Barocco.

Ilona Hennen started teaching flute music in the music institute ofKankaanpää in 2007. After a couple of years of teaching, she continued hermusic studies at the University of Music and performing Arts in Vienna,graduating in 2012 as Master of Arts in flute playing and pedagogics. Her teachers have been Anja Voipio and Eeva Heikkilä in Finland and Barbara Gisler-Haase in Vienna. Early music has always fascinated her so she studied early music and traverso flute as secondary subject with Petra Aminoff and Gertraud Wimmer. In Vienna she also got to know the world ofrhythmic training with Angelika Hauser-Dellefant and was excited! Passioned about rhythm, Ilona now studies rhythmic training at the Sibelius-Academy in Helsinki. Her teaching subjects in Kankaanpää music institute are flute, chamber music and music education for children between 7 to 9 years. Besides teaching she plays in a flute/guitar-duo with her fiancé.Teaching languages: Finnish, German, English.